Rebekah Brooks has claimed that the "alliance" of media against the News Corporation bid for ownership of BSkyB was "unprecedented".

The former News International chief executive officer and ex-News of the World editor made frequent reference to a supposed "anti-Sky bid alliance" while speaking to the Leveson Inquiry today (May 11).

In her written testimony to the inquiry, Brooks said: "At no point did I ever have an inappropriate conversation with anyone who had any influence over what the government might do.

"The formation of the anti-Sky bid alliance was unprecedented - I think it involved the BBC, The Guardian, The Financial Times, The [Daily] Telegraph, The Daily Mail - nearly all the media groups apart from News International.

"Other commercial rivals like British Telecom also joined the alliance. It was in this climate that conversations took place as many of these media companies were using their own publications or broadcasts to convey their opposition."

She noted that the bid was by News Corp, not News International, but admitted that she would have defended the bid when the matter "arose in conversation".

On whether she lobbied her political contacts on behalf of News Corp, Brooks told the inquiry: "I did have an informal role as you suggest, mainly after the formation of the anti-Sky bid alliance because that brought News International into what was a News Corp transaction because the anti Sky alliance was ... well, everyone else."

She later added: "I think the anti-Sky bid alliance had so many members. They I knew were seeing politicians, I think Dr [Vince] Cable had a dinner with them early on in 2010. If I met people and I had the chance to put our side of the story I would."